Dealing with minor aches and pains is something that many athletes take for granted. However, some athletes may develop moderate to severe lower back and hip pain, and these forms of pain are often caused by specific sports injuries. 

It’s not uncommon for U.S. athletes to experience an aching lower back or hip. One medical study reports that up to 94% of athletes feel some level of lower back discomfort annually. Another study reveals that about 10% of people who seek help from sports medicine professionals have hip or groin pain. Meeting with a physical therapist can help you learn what is causing your lower back and hip pain, and you can also get effective treatment for your pain from these medical professionals. 

Lower back and hip pain can come from these three sports injuries: 

1. Ligament, muscle or tendon injuries — Ligaments are soft tissue structures that connect a bone to another bone. Tendons connect muscles to bones, and muscles allow your body to move. All these structures must work together when you’re playing a sport. However, they can also be sprained, strained or torn. If the injured structure is located in either the hip or lower back, you may feel discomfort in both areas. 

2. Herniated lumbar disc — Many sports require some level of lower back movement. Yet repetitive movements, sudden stress or impacts can all injure a disc in your lumbar spine. A herniated disc occurs when the outer covering of a spinal disc is damaged. The disc’s inner material is then able to poke out or herniate, which can trigger local and radiating pain. 

3. Sciatica — Your sciatic nerve runs from your lower back, through your buttocks near the hips and down the back of your legs. A lower back or hip impact can easily cause a section of this nerve to be pinched. In turn, sciatica can trigger burning or shocklike pains along the entire length of the nerve. 

What can physical therapists do to treat lower back and hip pain caused by sports injuries?

Physical therapists can help you treat many musculoskeletal disorders caused by playing sports. These specialists can take treatment steps such as: 

• Identifying the root cause of your pain.
• Educating you about the injury you have. 
• Employing aquatic therapy to relax and strengthen the injured area of your body. 
• Developing a therapeutic exercise program for you that can help speed up your recovery. 
• Helping you avoid future sports injuries. 

Rehab Access offers treatment for sports injuries that cause lower back and hip pain

Do you have a sports injury that’s left your lower back and hip painful? Our team at Rehab Access Physical Therapy is ready and willing to help you address your injury. We can do a free screening to determine what type of injury is causing your pain. Next, our physical therapists will construct an individualized therapy plan for you that’s designed to: 

• Reduce your pain.
• Supercharge your recovery process. 
• Improve your flexibility and strength. 
• Get you back to playing as fast as possible. 
• Help you avoid future sports injuries. 

Contact our team today for more information about our sports injury treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment to begin treating your injury.